The weblog you are about to read is a recorded history. On a regular basis I will be posting, chronologically, entries of a correspondence written between my maternal grandparents shortly after the end of WWII, during the Allied occupation of Japan. My grandfather was an Army Major stationed in Japan on General MacArthur's staff, and my grandmother was at home in the United States. I invite you to join me in this experiment and follow their lives in this weblog.

Cranes (Meiji silk painting)

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To start at the beginning of this blog, please click on the January 9, 2010, post in the Blog Archive below.

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Monday, March 15, 2010

Today we find out that Maj. Gillham has finally learned that the family has made it safely home to Atlanta and that they had some trouble just before they made it. To refresh your memory, the family lost use of the car's headlights on Christmas Eve in Tallapoosa, GA, about an hour east of Atlanta, and the girls were so afraid that Santa Claus would pass them by if they weren't at home. Luckily, a man at the garage they stopped at was heading into Atlanta, too, so Pop drove close behind him the whole way, using the man's headlights as a guide. As Maj. Gillham puts it, they "came in with Santa Claus" and made it just in time.

Just to let you know, it's only a few more posts until Frances gets into the act. Her first letter is from January 14, so I will post that soon. Stay tuned!

My mother (Monty) remembers seeing the gong that Maj. Gillham refers to in this letter, but she's not sure where it ended up. Does anyone out in Blogland have any information as to its current whereabouts?

Tokyo7 Jan 46

Dearest Love,

Yours written Christmas day received, and it was a great relief to know you had gotten to Atlanta safely. I am sorry you had so much trouble on the home stretch. You must have come in with Santa Claus.

I was surprised to hear that that box was there. I didn't think you would get it before spring. Parcel post must move faster going to the states, as they have a better organized distribution system on the receiving end.

I sent a little box to the children today containing some little odds and ends that might interest them. Among them are the seashells I picked up a couple of weeks ago. They are ordinary types of shells, but seem to contain more color, especially when wet. Notice how some look like they have Japanese writing on them.

I am also sending two big boxes of metal objects from my scrap metal pile. I haven't cleaned them up but I think they have potential. If some need minor repairs we can work on them in our metal shop when we get set up again.

See that everybody in the family that wants any of the stuff gets some. The only things I particularly want to keep are the cymbal and the gong. That gong has a wonderful tone when struck with a padded object.

You said you were going up to Memphis soon. I will be interested in your report on things there, but hope you don't overdo yourself.

Cpl. Newton Allen (Seddon Allen's son from Memphis) brought a Sgt. Broadnox by to see me last night. Broadnox is from Atlanta, Ga. Tech and Camp Callan. Allen had just finished at Princeton when the Army got him. They are both very fine young fellows. I enjoyed talking to them very much. It almost made me feel young again. They are scheming to get discharged here and hook up with some newspapers and go home via Europe. If I were a little younger I think I would go with them. However, I hear there is some possibility of the Army taking some officers home that way, and I may do it if I have a chance when the time comes.

I am anxious to hear all about the Holsenbeck house party. I know you will have a fine time. How long since you were all together at the same time? I hope that you won't be so crowded that you get in each other's hair. I tried to help a situation like that once by staying at a hotel, and only got myself in the dog house.

I am sorry that my letters which greeted you on your arrival in Atlanta were those where I was fussing about your lack of plans. I trust that you have received some more pleasant ones since.